Southern Smoke 2017

Southern Smoke delivers culinary star power and raises a half-million dollars

Chris Shepherd isn't one to mince words. When he saw the total donation amount from this year's Southern Smoke festival, he couldn't hide his excitement.

"Half a million motherfucking dollars," he exclaimed to the crowd.

Through a partnership with Legacy Community Health, that $500,000 (a dramatic increase from the $281,000 raised last year) will be allocated to Houston hospitality workers who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. Everyone from cooks and servers to bussers and drive-thru cashiers are eligible to receive funds from the money raised by Southern Smoke.

To reach that lofty total, the barbecue-themed event stepped things up for its third year. In addition to returning pitmasters Aaron Franklin and Rodney Scott and chef Ashley Christensen, Southern Smoke added James Beard Award winners Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope from Charleston and, most prominently, superstar chef David Chang of the New York-based Momofuku Restaurant Group. New Orleans chef John Besh, who had been expected to participate, was "unavailable," per the organizers, and did not attend.

As in past years, Franklin's brisket attracted the longest line — over an hour at its peak —but attendees raved about every dish, including Christensen's smoked oysters, Scott's Carolina-style whole hog, Lata and Stanhope's roasted snapper tacos and Mexican-style grilled corn, and Chang's beef rib with kimchi and trout roe.

Local chefs contributed, too. The Houston BBQ Collective — which consists of Shepherd, Justin Yu (Theodore Rex), Ryan Pera (Coltivare), Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan (both of The Pass and Provisions) — supplemented its ranks with Brandi Key (Clark Cooper Concepts), Manabu Horiuchi (Kata Robata), and Hugo Ortega (Hugo's, etc). Long after the other tents had run out of food, the Houston chefs kept serving Korean fried chicken, paella, empanadas, tamales, and more.

Attendees could pair that food with any number of beverage options, including cocktails from sponsor Knob Creek, beer from Saint Arnold and Sierra Nevada, and a wide range of wines served by a team of local sommeliers. Silent auction items that fetched top dollar included a tasting of Pappy Van Winkle at Shepherd's home with Preston Van Winkle ($18,700), a bottle of ultra-rare 25-year old Pappy Van Winkle ($19,990), dinner for 30 prepared by the Houston BBQ Collective ($16,500), and a trip to Kentucky bourbon distilleries with Agricole Hospitality co-owner Morgan Weber ($8,500).

Musical performances by the Bayou City Brass Band and Folk Family Revival kept folks entertained, and a surprise appearance by Houston hip hop legend Bun B had the crowd singing along.

No other Houston food event delivers quite the same mix of culinary star power, entertainment, and fundraising. Not surprisingly, Shepherd has announced a companion event for next spring that will provide Houstonians with even more opportunities to eat well and give back. We can't wait.

Chris Shepherd and David Chang.

Southern Smoke 2017 Chris Shepherd David Chang

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Chris Shepherd and David Chang.

barbecue hurricane charity chefs fundraisers

Stay trill, owls

Bun B serves up smash hit smash burgers at Houston's Rice University

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Bun B is bringing Trill Burgers to Rice University.

Faculty, students, and staff at Rice University will have a fresh new dining option when classes resume for the fall semester. Trill Burgers will open its fourth Houston-area location on campus beginning Monday, August 17.

Located at the Rice Memorial Center, the new Trill Burgers will serve the restaurant’s signature smash burgers, which are available in either beef or vegan versions. That starts with the OG Trill Burger, made with two smashed beef patties, pickles, caramelized onions, Trill Sauce, and American cheese on a Martin’s potato roll. A vegan version uses plant-based smashed patties, vegan sauce, and vegan cheese. Burgers will be sold individually or as a combo with fries and a drink. Students will be able to use their campus dining dollars (Tetra) to purchase their meals.

Bun B, a Houston hip-hop legend and co-founder of Trill Burgers, has long had ties to Rice University. In 2011, 2013, and 2015, he served as a distinguished lecturer, co-teaching Religion and Hip-Hop Culture with Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of the Humanities.

“This is truly full circle for me,” Bun B said in a statement. “To bring this brand to Rice University where I once taught is a major moment for Trill Burgers and for myself.”

In addition to Trill Burgers, Rice is also home to locations of breakfast favorite Dandelion Cafe and salad and sandwich concept Local Foods Market.

“We are excited to build upon this long-standing relationship while giving the Rice community an authentic taste of Houston,” Beth Leaver, Rice’s assistant vice president of housing, dining, and hospitality, added. “Trill Burgers brings a distinctive and celebrated part of Houston’s culinary culture to the Rice campus. I am often asked about adding a great burger option, and this partnership fills an important gap in our dining portfolio.”

While the restaurant is open to the general public, its proximity to the original Trill Burgers location (3607 S. Shepherd Dr.) means it will likely appeal primarily to people who are already on campus. Initially, the restaurant will be open from 11 am-5 pm.

Opening at Rice comes at a time of continued growth for Trill Burgers. In December, the restaurant opened in Missouri City. It is expected to open a new location at Westheimer and Hillcroft (7616 Westheimer Rd.) as soon as this month.

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